Biographical Sketch of Humphrey M. Burford, Johnson County, Missouri,
Post Oak Township.
>From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell,
Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918.
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Humphrey M. Burford, one of the leading citizens of Post Oak township,
a progressive, capable agriculturist, is a member of one of the first
families of Johnson county. He was born January 2, 1860 near Center-
view, son of William H. and Elizabeth (Williams) Burford, who were
united in marriage in 1859 and to whom were born nine children, one son
and one daughter dying in infancy and seven are now living, five sons
and two daughters. William H. Burford was born August 7, 1832 on his
father's plantation near Richmond, Virginia. When a child six years of
age he came to Missouri with his parents and they settled on a tract of
land in St. Clair county, where William H. was reared and educated. At
the age of twenty years, he left Missouri and went to California. This
was the time of the excited rush to the gold fields there and Mr. Bur-
ford made the trip to California by land, returning by way of Panama.
About 1858, he came to Johnson county and settled on a farm near
Centerview. He was engaged in the business of buying and selling
cattle. In 1859, as has been stated, he was married to Elizabeth
Williams, daughter of Wilkenson Williams, a prominent citizen of John-
son county and sheriff of the county for two terms immediately after
the Civil War. During the war, the Burford family made a trip to Ill-
inois, but soon returned to Johnson county and located on the Miller
place about two miles from Warrensburg. From the Miller farm, they
moved to the Eberts place in Warrensburg township. At one time, Will-
iam H. Burford was owner of more than 2,000 acres of land, practically
all of which he lost in the panic of 1873. Just prior to the panic of
1873, W. H. Burford had bought thousands of western cattle, the deprec-
iation in the value of which was partly the cause of his failure. In
1874, he purchased a tract of land in Post Oak township on credit. He
was an indomitable character, who knew no failure, and he spent the
remainder of his life buying and selling cattle, speculating in hund-
reds at a time, accumulating a competence, and at the time of his death
he was the owner of 490 acres of valuable farm land in Johnson county
and was considered a well to do man in this section of the state. In
the election of 1896, he was elected to the office of judge of the
county court, which position he filled satisfactorily two terms. He
was then elected county surveyor of Johnson county and it was during
his incumbency that the tragic accident occurred at the railroad cross-
ing on Holden street in Warrensburg, which resulted in the death of
William H. Burford and in the loss to the citizenship of Missouri one
of the noblest men of Johnson county. Humphrey M. Burford was a
student at the Warrensburg State Normal School in 1881 and 1882. He
then attended Spaulding's Business College in 1882 and 1883. March 3,
1887, Mr. Burford was united in marriage with Henrietta A. Rathfon, who
was born in Indiana, October 24, 1860. To Humphrey M. and Mrs. Burford
has been born one child, a daughter, Beulah L., who is now the wife of
J. H. Swearingen and they have two daughters: Alice Nadine and Myrtle
D. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Burford moved to a farm in
Vernon county, where he engaged in general farming and stock raising.
About 1896, they moved to Warrensburg and two years later to Colorado.
In the fall of the year of 1899, they returned from Colorado, where
they had resided one year, and settled on the farm, which is now widely
known as the Rathfon place. One hundred twenty acres comprise this
farm and on it Mr. Burford is raising good cattle and hogs, of best
grade, and many chickens. Mr. Burford is a firm advocate of the
poultry and dairy business as money making propositions. For many
years, Humphrey M. Burford has been one of the leading citizens of
Leeton. He is one of the directors of the company controlling the
lumber yard, one of the stockholders in the Farmers Bank of Leeton, and
one of the stockholders in the elevator in Leeton. He is a valued mem-
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America of Leeton. Mrs. Burford is a
worthy and consistent member of the Christian church and in their comm-
unity is an esteemed neighbor and friend.
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